Sebree Church Wants Change in Town Sign Law

04/09/2014 08:21 PM

04/09/2014 08:23 PM

Sebree First Christian Church hopes the law changes after an attempt to put up a new sign hit a roadblock.

A Sebree church, looking to improve its image, runs into an unexpected obstacle. That's because city leaders say "Thou shalt not display digital signs in Sebree." It comes just as the church was ready to make the change.

Sebree First Christian Church is more than a century old, with a sign that's decades old. But Brice Marsh says just as members were ready to change signs --

"Designed it. Came up with everything. Raised 95% of the money," he says.

They ran into an obstacle: a city ordinance 16 years old.

"Of course, we were disappointed," he says.

The sign law prohibits digital, illuminating, or projecting signs in nearly all of Sebree. It was passed back in the late 1990s. The ordinance also prohibits signs taller than four feet. Church members say if they tried to build their old sign now, it wouldn't be allowed.

"Nothing has came up since that time to update it," Marsh says. "So, it isn't necessarily the city's fault, it;s just that this is the first time they've been approached for this to take place."

Marsh says they're old sign was breaking apart, showing cracks. He said they're new two foot by seven foot marker would improve the church's, and the city's image.

"I believe, in my heart, that this will be one of the first changes in my heart that takes place in the ordinance," he says. "And I feel that there will be many more to come to make Sebree a better place."

Marsh says city officials are looking into changing the law so they can change signs before the wait gets too old.

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